


Il mio cuore ardendo

by palermoskull



Series: Will needs help [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Ableism, Ableist Language, Angst with a Happy Ending, Autistic Will Graham, Childhood Memories, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal calls Will baby boy, Hurt/Comfort, Jack Crawford Being Jack Crawford, Jealous Will Graham, M/M, Non-verbal Autism, Poor Will, Protective Hannibal Lecter, Self-Harm, Sharing a Bed, Shutdowns, Someone Help Will Graham, Stimming, Suicidal Thoughts, They watch 101 dalmatians, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Will Graham is a Mess, Will does not like loud noises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:55:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25704739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palermoskull/pseuds/palermoskull
Summary: (Read tags for trigger warnings)Will is struggling with self harm, he can't hide it anymore. Hannibal helps and Will trusts him. When the night is too dark and the buzzing in his head too loud, the man wearing fancy suits will be there to help him rise above the seas of dark thoughts.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: Will needs help [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864201
Comments: 13
Kudos: 201





	Il mio cuore ardendo

**Author's Note:**

> Only chapter, don't read if it triggers you. Love, David ♡

Will Graham was not a weak man by any means. He survived an abusive dad, he survived a gunshot, he survived the monsters Jack Crawford put inside his head everyday. He knew he was not weak but he couldn't help feeling that way, vulnerable and insignificant.

The first time he cut himself it was after having a horrible nightmare, he could feel the blood in his hands and the screaming in his ears sounded like his own voice. The razor blade slid carefully through skin, crimson droplets decorated the pale of his forearm. He didn't think much about it, he just went back to sleep hoping the nightmares would go away.

The second time he cut himself it was after a truly tedious week, he didn't feel like himself anymore. This time the blade slid several times through the skin, the pain made him feel somewhat relieved. Winston whined, scenting the pain of his owner in the air, Will felt guilt pounding hard inside his chest.

"It's okay, buddy. Come here." After dressing his wounds he called Winston to the bed.

They both slept together, Buster and Max followed. Tails and legs tangled together as the brunnete slept peacefully feeling the warm and company of his canine friends. He felt safe, he felt family.

The third time, the fourth, the fifth... Will didn't even know how many times he had hurt himself. It was something intimate, something that allowed him to be aware of who he was and be able to separate himself from the killers' mindsets. Nobody noticed, not even Jack. He was careful to dress the wounds so they could heal properly, careful to use long sleeves, careful to avoid anything that could reveal he was in pain... But sometimes the noise inside his head was too much for him, he was aching for something else. He was tired of feeling overwhelmed, tired of mutilating his skin just to feel some sanity, tired of crying until falling sleep. He needed help, he wasn't sure if he wanted it.

Sometimes he remembered the lonely nights when he was a kid, his father was always drunk and aggressive. Will used to bang his head so hard against the wall until he couldn't hear anything, until he couldn't hear his father's words, until he couldn't hear the other kids calling him a freak, until he couldn't hear the teachers telling him that there was something wrong with his behaviour. Sometimes he remembered other things, the few times his father was sober and not yelling at him, the times he played with the neighbour's dogs, the beautiful garden where the birds were always singing and dancing around. 

Will's stability was thin, he had been so good at hiding it and now he had all the attention from the FBI. " _I heard he is a psychopath", "Oh, I thought he was autistic!", "No, no. Fucking insane, that's what he is."_

Will was tired, so fucking tired.

Jack showed up and dragged him to another crime scene. _'Okay, I can do this.'_ The special agent told himself. He tried doing what he always did, interpreting the evidence. This killer was careless, messy. He just wanted to see blood and organs, he was fascinated by them but he didn't know anything about them. _'I like to see them suffer.'_ Will thought and suddenly he was not himself anymore, he was the killer and it scared him. _'I am Will Graham.'_ He tried, his mind full of horrifying and morbid images. He was shuddering, couldn't wake up, someone was calling his name but it was just a distant noise. _'Fuck fuck FUCK! CONTROL YOURSELF'_

"Will, Will, Will!" Jack Crawford's voice grounded him to the present. His breathing was still uneven and his mind still shifted between Will Graham and the killer. 

"S-sorry, I need a moment." He walked towards his car and got inside it. Nobody was paying attention, the pocket knife was there peeking his interest.

He pressed the blade against his forearm, just enough to bleed, not enough to die. He didn't know how many times he abused his skin, he just knew it was enough to make him feel like he was himself. Will was tired and dizzy, he managed to say goodbye to Jack (Who complained about irresponsibility and saving lives, Graham just ignored.) And then he called doctor Lecter to tell him he couldn't make it today.

"You are aware of my 24 hours cancel policy, aren't you?" Hannibal replied.

"Yes, sorry. But I really need to stay home tonight, it hurts and i'm tired."

"What hurts?" _Fuck_ , Will didn't mean to say that. 

"Uhm, n-nothing. Just tired." Even  
to him it sounded like a lie.

"Okay, William. You may rest... But please don't even doubt to call me if you need something, anything." The other man was worried, Will could feel it crawling into his skin and deep down in his chest.

"Thank you, doctor. I'll see you next week for-uh for our session."

Hannibal was important to him, he trusted the psychiatrist but sadly not enough to tell him about the self harm. Will wouldn't stand the disappointment on Lecter's face and he probably would be sent away to some mental health hospital. 

Whenever he was close to Hannibal he felt warm, his heart beat faster and his face flushed. Will knew what the feelings meant but quickly shut down every thought about reciprocity, he would never be enough for the pristine, smart and educated man. 

The younger man drove quietly to Wolf Trap, eyes glued to the road trying to shut down his mind. When he made it home he went straight to bed, he didn't even say hello to his pack. 6:54 pm and Will Graham fell asleep wishing to never wake up again. Nightmares invaded his mind and he woke up as he usually did, screaming and agitated. Tired of his subconscious mind he found the used razor blade and pressed it against his skin, the pain almost as good as a hug from something or someone alive. He pressed the sharp item over and over again until there was nothing but pain in his body, Will was about to cut again but Winston barked at the Bentley parking in front his porch. Panic instead of pain, he wiped his arm with a shirt and hid it under the bed then quickly rolled down the sleeves of his flannel and put the razor under his pillow. 

Hannibal knocked at his door and Will waited a moment, just to calm his nerves. 

_Okay, I can do it._

"Just a moment!" He opened the door and looked at the taller man's face.

"Hello, Will. I'm sorry if my presence is unexpected, I was worried about you. I brought dinner." _Fuck, doctor Lecter was always so damn polite._

"Oh, s-sorry. Come in, uh sorry about the mess." 

The scent of blood filled Hannibal's senses, maybe the younger man got injured during a crime scene and he didn't treat the wounds. Doctor Lecter catched the bloody shirt under the bed and realized something was wrong. It hurts, he said when he called.

"How are you feeling, boy?" 

"I thought this wasn't therapy." Defensive as always.

"It isn't, this is just a friend being worried." Hannibal walked towards him and the scent of blood and fear grew stronger, it was making him feel dizzy. 

"There's nothing to be worried about, I just had an awful week." 

The older man caressed Will's cheek and made eye contact. He could see him now... Small, vulnerable, even childish. A touch starved man which life was full of pain and ghosts from the past. Graham started fidgeting under the touch, his skin too sensitive to the touch of another human being, he avoided his eyes and decided to focus on the sink instead.

It made sense now, Will was hurt, so hurt that he had to feel something physical in order to not lose his mind at the pain.

"Did you hurt yourself?" The shame was noticeable on the empath's face.

"I didn't- I didn't hurt myself, you can't prove anything." The subtle change in the words surprised Hannibal, aggressive rather than defensive. "Thank you for coming here, but I think you should go." 

"Will, my dear boy. You don't have to lie, not to me. I am aware of the darkness inside your mind, I know you are trying." Graham couldn't repress the sobs coming out of his mouth, he was so angry for being like this, he was so angry for feeling so much.

Hannibal's arms held him tight against his body, one hand petting the wild curls and the other caressing his back. 

"Sorry, I'm sorry. Are you going to send me away, are you angry?" Will's hands gripped the older man's shirt, afraid to be left alone or to be locked up in some psych ward.

"No, no, no. Look at me, boy." He lifted his face from Hannibal's chest. "I wish you had come to me instead, but I'm not angry, the only thing I want now is to take care of you. I care for you, Will."

The brunnete nodded and rolled up one sleeve, Lecter felt truly sorry for not realizing what was happening sooner.   
His boy's skin was marked with deep and angry red cuts, some of them healing and others still open.

Will reminded him so much of Mischa, big eyes always curious and eager to learn, a smile so beautiful that could make anyone feel alive. It hurt him so much to see the smaller man struggling with something like this, he wanted him to smile and never stop smiling, he wanted to make Will feel loved and safe. He couldn't deny that the killer inside him felt curious about watching him in pain, but only pain caused by his own hand. Jack Crawford was going to suffer if he didn't stop pushing him.

Doctor Lecter retrieved the first aid kit from the bathroom and made Graham sit down on his bed as he kneeled down to help. 

"This is going to sting a little, I need you to be a brave boy for me." The alcohol made contact with Will's skin and he cried out. "I apologize."

The wounds were carefully cleaned and dressed, the older man was careful not to touch them when he rolled down the sleeve and placed a kiss on top of the fabric.

"Sorry..." 

"Don't apologize, darling boy." Hannibal sat down on the bed.

"But it's my fault, I fucked up because i'm just an unstable piece of-"

"Stop, don't you ever talk about yourself like that." The psychiatrist moved closer to him. "Everytime I see you I see art, I see beauty. You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen, Will. You don't have to feel guilty for needing help."

The brunnete couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around Hannibal's neck, trying to find comfort and reassurance. 

"I'm sorry..." The smaller one talked.

"It's okay, darling. Right now I want you to take a nap and then we'll eat dinner, mmh?" Lecter gently made Will get under the sheets.

"Sounds good but uhm, nightmares." The brunnete was truly scared of his own mind and the idea of sleeping was enough to make him panic. "Maybe you could stay beside me, please. A-and wake me up if I have nightmares?" 

"Okay, come here." Hannibal got under the sheets and opened his arms, he caressed the boy's curls with one hand and rubbed his back with the other. Will's head was resting on his chest, his breathing slightly uneven. "Sleep, baby boy."

"Sorry, i'm nervous. I've never... never been cuddled before." 

Most of the time Lecter didn't feel bad for his patients, his intentions always were different from what he tried to demonstrate. Tonight it wasn't like that, he felt bad, almost guilty. Nobody had ever cuddled this boy, _his boy_ , not even his father when he was little, not even the few partners from his past, nobody. He pressed a kiss to the curls and whispered Dante Alighieri's words against the trembling figure he held in his arms.

_"Allegro mi sembrava_   
_Amor tenendo_   
_meo core in mano, e_   
_ne le braccia avea_   
_madonna involta in_   
_un drappo dormendo._   
_Poi la svegliava, e_   
_d'esto core ardendo_   
_lei paventosa_   
_umilmente pascea:_   
_appresso gir lo ne_   
_vedea piangendo."_

_Dante Alighieri_

For a moment the special agent forgot everything, the pain and discomfort were gone. The only thing he could feel was the warm between the other man and him. He quickly fell asleep in the safe of Hannibal's arms.

The older man was dizzy from the warm and scent of Will's body, a scent that was usually bothered by the smell of aftershave and dogs, now none of those things were present. 

Hannibal understood Will like no one else could, they shared the blurred lines between good and evil, the darkness inside of the corners of their minds. If only Will could embrace that darkness instead of pushing it away...

[...]

When Will woke up this time it wasn't because of nightmares, strong arms were still wrapped around his smaller body. He nuzzled his face against the other neck, still sleepy and warm.

Graham couldn't help but start sobbing because of the intimacy. Toxic masculinity has always disgusted him, being raised by a man who tried to be percieved as an alpha made him hate gender roles and everything that came with that. He liked Doctor Lecter, he liked him very much, but now everything felt too much for his touch starved skin and his numb heart. 

"Oh, darling..." The older man pulled him closer, feeling how Will's limbs were shaking. 

"Sorry, sorry- I'll make it stop, sorry." 

"None of that, let it out. I'll be here until you are ready to talk, if you aren't then we won't." The psychiatrist said.

Hannibal held him close to his body, he felt the muffled whimpers against his neck and trembling hands grabbing his shirt. Silent tears stained the sheets, a physical reminder of Will's agony. Several minutes later a deep silence filled the room, the taller man thought the other had fallen asleep.

"Thank you, Hannibal." Graham murmured, it was the first time he used the doctor's name. 

"No need to thank me, Will. Are you hungry now?" 

"Mmh, starving." He joked.

"Well, we don't want you to starve to death. Come, to the kitchen." Hannibal pulled the sheets off their bodies.

"Nooo, too cold." The brunnete complained.

"Put this on." Lecter took off his sweater and offered it to the other man.

Will inmideatly covered his body with the piece of clothing, the sleeves were too long and the hem almost touched his knees, but it was strangely comforting, _maybe_ it was because Hannibal's cologne was impregnated all over it. 

They walked towards the kitchen, Lecter made sure the food wasn't too cold and served it in plates. They didn't feel like talking, small conversation was not necessary right now. The older man could hear Will's breathing and Will could feel Hannibal's gaze. Graham finished his meal and started fidgeting and playing with the hem of his sweater, Lecter thought it was simply adorable. 

They washed the dishes together, no talking yet, just silence filled with smiles and little touches. Will's mind started to bother him again, he didn't know if this was just therapy or friendship, maybe something more. No, he wasn't enough for that, he shouldn't have hope. Hannibal Lecter was too good for Will Graham.

"Don't go inside, stay with me." The older man said and Graham pressed his head against the psychiatrist's shoulder.

"It's getting dark outside." He muttered.

"Sadly yes, but I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'll be okay, I'm not the suicidal type." Will said jokingly.

"Mmh, very funny." The taller one laughed.

"I mean it, you shouldn't worry so much about me. I can survive a night alone,"

"Okay, if you are sure. Just let me hug you a little more."

[...]

Almost a week later Will was on Hannibal's lounge. He showed up unannounced, scared to be alone with his thoughts after the horrible day he had.

"Do you want something to drink?" The older one asked. 

"Uhm, could I...?- I don't know, no." Embarrassment filled his body.

"You can ask for whatever you want, darling. Go ahead," Hannibal caressed his cheek.

"When I was a kid I used to have a glass of milk and cookies whenever I had a bad day, I- I know it's kinda dumb. You don't have to do it." 

"I am more than happy to do that for my darling boy, wait here and I'll bring it here." Hannibal walked towards the kitchen while the younger man still analyzed the words.

He called me his boy, his.

After twenty minutes Lecter came back with a tray made of wood and placed it on the sofa. Warm milk and cookies which looked like they were brought directly from heaven. Will picked up the glass and smiled sincerely when he tasted the milk, he remembered the little moments as a child when he could enjoy the taste of fresh milk and silence.

"Thank you, Hannibal." 

"Thank you for trusting me, dear Will." Lecter watched how the boy ate his meal.

Graham felt truly happy, so happy he could die, he just wanted to spend the rest of his life like this. Maybe he could be happy, he thought. When he finished eating, doctor Lecter moved closer to him caressing his curls.

"Is it okay if I pick you up?" The older man asked.

"Uhm, yes but wh-?" Before he could finish the answer Hannibal pulled his body closer until Will was basically curling up in his lap and pressing his head against Lecter's neck.

"My boy, you are _my boy_." The psychiatrist whispered.

" _Yours, yours_..." The brunnete smiled.

[...]

Will was trembling, the sheets wet with sweat and urine, the dogs crying by his side. He shoved the sheets inside the washing machine and went straight into the shower, the razors on there peeking his curiosity. He couldn't do it anymore, he just couldn't, he grabbed the sharp object and pressed it against his thighs, his arms, his stomach. His mind was on fire.

He just wanted to disappear and lying in a bed with no sheets while bleeding and in pain didn't help at all, he hesitated whether to call doctor Lecter or not. No, he would see him in the morning, Jack asked him to come, he could wait until then.

He didn't sleep, he got dressed and waited until the morning made his presence obvious through the curtains.

[...]

Why was Hannibal flirting with Alana? Her hand was wrapped around his bicep, her eyes lowering to his lips everytime he talked. Will was hurt, his thighs hurt and his throat felt tight, he wanted to scream and mostly did not want to be there. He started stimming, his right hand moving up and down trying to calm himself and silence his intrusive thoughts.

"Can you stop that?" Jack barely yelled.

Graham immediately stopped and decided to pick up on the scabs on his thighs instead, nobody could see him but the smell of blood didn't go unnoticed to the refined sense of smell of Lecter. Alana kept talking but now the doctor gaze was completely focused on the anxious body of the younger man.

"Aauh..." Will complained when he picked on a particularly deep cut, the pain made his head spin and his skin burn.

"Are you okay?" Crawford asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I need to go to the bathroom," Will quickly stood up from his seat and went to the bathroom, as he made his way to the room he saw his trousers beginning to stain with crimson red.

He sat on the toilet and pulled the piece of clothing off to look at the mess he made, toilet paper should stop the bleeding, he thought. 

Doctor Lecter called out his name.

"Yeah, in here. Just a moment," Will wrapped his thighs with toilet paper and tried his best to cover the dark stain as he came out of the stall.

"Darling, What happened?" 

"Don't call me that, okay? I'm alright." Graham was actually angry, Lecter treated him like a child.

"Are you angry with me?" 

"This is not about you, do you hear me? It's about me, fucking me. I'm a fucking loser who can't do anything right so please tell me what the fuck you want or please leave me alone!" Will was breathless, shaking, sobbing, angry with himself for being so foolish and trusting him.

"I can't leave you alone, baby boy. I care for you, Will." Hannibal was actually surprised at the agent's words.

"No, you don't. I'm just a fucking patient who is too interesting for you to let go. Why don't you stop messing with me and go back to flirt with pretty Alana, uh?" Will scratched his hands and neck painfully, his chest was aching and his face was red. "God, I'm so fucking dumb for thinking you would want a broken puppy like me." 

"William, stop scratching yourself." The older man said seriously. "You are not a b-"

"Stop telling me what to do and FUCK OFF!" The special agent yelled and started banging his head against the nearest wall. "STOP, STOP, STOP!" 

Hannibal quickly held him so he couldn't hurt himself, Will struggled against him, trying to move away from the strong arms that restricted him.

"Let me go, LET-ME- GO!" Graham screamed so loud his voice cracked. "PLEASE, _JUST LET ME GO!_ "

"Shhh, baby boy." Lecter tightened his grip and the younger man started to relax, he moved his hands up and down, trying to stimulate his body. "You are safe now, Will. You are safe, baby."

"Nnh!" Graham complained, his head was buzzing and everything was too loud and bright, he wished he was dead.

The smaller man's body slowly started to lose strength, Will didn't fight the strong arms that gripped him anymore. He was going to shut down and he knew it, the last time it happened he was sixteen. Graham never got a proper diagnosis, his father took him to a therapist once and when she told her he was autistic he got angry, ' _My child is not retarded_ ' he used to say. Eye contact was always an issue, some textures made him feel sick, that's why he always wore his flannels and cotton shirts. Noises where his biggest problem, his hearing was so sensitive he could hear electricity and even the air whispered to him, loud noises made him cry. Older kids at his school used to scream in his ears just to make him panic. He remembered the time he shutdown at school, he went completely nonverbal and couldn't communicate, the words were too complicated and everything was too much, he just wanted to be in somewhere quiet and dark. He was going to shut down now and in the worst place possible.

"Will?" Hannibal asked.

The younger man shook his head and rested his back to the doctor's chest, his legs no longer worked.

"Can you walk?" Will shook his head. "What about if I take you home?" He nodded.

Hannibal lifted Will so he could hide his face on his neck and wrap his legs around his waist. They walked through the corridors as curious eyes of young trainees fixated on the figure of the trembling teacher, the older man placed Will inside of the car then sat on the driver's seat. 

"Try to sleep, pup." Will didn't seem to hear what he said, his eyes were unfocused and the back of his head hurt like hell. He closed his eyes and tried to avoid every noise that could bother him.

They drove together in complete silence, Hannibal frowned, worried. The young man usually talked when they were together, even if it was just small talk. Now he was staring absently to the road.

"William, we are here." The doctor said trying to get the younger man's attention. No response.

Lecter got out of the car and opened the copilot door, he lifted Will and carried him inside the house, sitting him on the sofa. He called his name several times until Graham seemed to come back to reality.

"Darling boy, what are you feeling?" 

The brunnete grabbed his phone and typed, _'shutdown, can't talk sorry.'_ Hannibal nodded and placed his hand on Will's shoulder.

"It's okay, do you want to eat something?" Will nodded. "Maybe some warm milk and cookies?" He managed to give a smile and nod.

The brunette was left alone while Hannibal poured some milk and made cookies, he mixed the ingredients and started baking them, the agent walked towards the kitchen with a sad look on his face.

"Will, what's wrong?" He showed his phone, 'don't wanna be alone', written on the screen. "The cookies will be ready in 10 minutes, would you like wait here with me?"

The smaller man nodded and rested his head against Hannibal's chest, the scent of him reassuring and soothing. Hannibal kissed his curls and grabbed his waist, Will looked up at him and placed a kiss on his cheekbone, then his jaw, his cheek, the corner of his mouth... The loud ring of the oven startled them, the younger one flushed.

"It seems that the cookies are ready," The taller man said separating himself from the other and kneeling down to the oven. 

Will sat down on the sofa as Hannibal brought the tray, the brunnete slowly started to eat, not wanting to feel nauseous. The cookies were delicious and he couldn't help giving a little smile which Lecter echoed with one of his own. After finishing the meal the taller man carried the tray to the kitchen and came back with a paper bag with some items inside it.

"I have a little gift and I was planning on giving it to you in our next session, but given the circumstances I think it's better to do it now." He placed the bag on the special agent's lap.

Will retrieved the objects, a book about fishing lures and a stuffed dog that looked almost exactly like Winston. The soft fur from the toy made him tear up, it felt good and soothing, like a kiss against his palms. He didn't have many toys as a kid, cars and trucks, anything blue and masculine. This was something beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Hannibal sat next to him.

Will made eye contact, he wanted to say so many things but nothing came out of his mouth, instead he wrapped his arms around Lecter's neck and kissed his cheek.

"I'm glad you liked it, baby boy." Hannibal cuddled him tightly. "I was thinking, and I know you would want to say no, but I want you to stay here tonight." 

Will immediately started complaining, trying to explain with his hands. "The dogs, I talked with Alana." The older one said, making the explanation from the other man stop. "Do you want to stay here this weekend?" 

Graham nodded with a little smile in his lips. "Good boy. I'm thinking maybe a bath and after that a movie, I may have 101 dalmatians somewhere..." The younger man gasped and smiled at how absurdly funny that sounded coming out from the elegant doctor's mouth. Yes, he nodded.

They walked to Hannibal's room, Will clutching his toy and book to his chest. He sat on the bed as Lecter retrieved clothes and towels from the wardrobe. With all ready they got into the bathroom.

"May I undress you, dear boy?" The empath was unsure, the other man would see scars and cuts all over his body, the fear of being seen as disgusting made his chest ache painfully. Silent tears started falling down his cheeks, the psychiatrist quickly noticed and hugged him. "Shh, it's okay... There's no need to feel shame, Will. You are beautiful, every single part of you."

Graham grabbed his flannel and slowly started to undress, the shirt, the trousers, the socks, the boxers... 

His thighs where red and sore, the toilet paper he put earlier was now sticking to the wounds. He tried pulling on it, almost fainting when he felt the pain on his overstimulated body.

"No, no. We are going to take it off with saline, okay? It'll be fine, baby boy. Sit down." Hannibal was really careful while cleaning the wounds so the paper towel could come off, after various attempts he cleaned all of it. "See? Not that hard." 

Lecter prepared a warm bath and helped Will get inside, he washed his arms, his legs, his neck, his hair. The younger man was fully relaxed as strong arms took care of him, Hannibal made him feel comfortable in his own skin. They took a long time, enough for the water to get cold.

"That's enough for today, baby boy. The water is no longer warm and we don't want you to get sick." Hannibal helped him stand up and wrapped a towel around his shoulders, he sat him on the toilet seat and started rubbing the towel along his body. Will put his hands on top of the brown sweater the doctor was wearing, pulling slightly. "Do you want to wear my sweater?"

The smaller man nodded and Hannibal obliged, he put his own sweater on Will's smaller frame alongside some boxers, sweatpants and socks. He was about to grab the hair dryer but the special agent whined loudly, his breathing uneven.

"Mylimasis, what's wrong?" Will pointed at the hair dryer and then covered his ears, Hannibal understood. He didn't like loud noises and after the sensory input he was put through today he couldn't stand a noise so loud as the machine. "Sorry for not realizing that before, I will dry your hair with the towel." 

[...]

"Feeling good, darling?" Will nodded, wrapped around a blanket on the couch. Hannibal put the movie and pressed play. 

Will Graham was the most beautiful creature on earth, every smile when the screen showed something hilarious, every nervous display in the most tense parts of the movie. Hannibal pulled him on his lap, holding him like a baby and letting him turn his head towards the screen. The smaller boy was so tired, he only watched half of the movie until his eyelids started to feel heavy, he nuzzled his cheek against Lecter's chest and fell asleep quickly.

Hannibal paused the movie and carried him to the guest's room, he gently put the blankets on his smaller figure and kissed his forehead before leaving the room.

Lecter went to his room and left the door open in case Will woke up and felt alone, he was right about that, it was 4 am when he heard heavy breathing and then light footsteps.

"Baby boy?" Graham was standing on the frame of the door, barefooted and asking for permission. "Come here, it is cold."

The smaller man got instantly under the sheets but didn't dare to hug the older man.

"Do you want me to hold you?" Hannibal asked trying to see his face in the dark, Will nodded.

Lecter pulled him closer until his curls were resting against his collarbone and his legs tangled under the sheets. Will lifted his head and watched the older man's face.

"What's wrong?" The special agent simply shook his head and pressed a little kiss against Hannibal's lips, it was soft, slow and innocent. The psychiatrist put his hand on Graham's nape and kissed back slowly, gasping when one of the smaller man's hand pressed around his throat. "Will..." 

The brunnete only gasped and broke the kiss.

"Perfect, perfect boy." The psychiatrist whispered and held him against his chest. "Sleep now." 

That night no nightmares bothered Will, he slept soundly wrapped in Hannibal's arms and burying his face in his chest.

Maybe, just maybe, he would be happy... 


End file.
